. . . all of those countries are, with the occasional already admitted wobble [France], freer economically than the US. Higher business freedom, investment, financial and trade. These we could and should lump together as free trade really: free trade internally and externally.

Freedom from corruption is really the rule of law: a corrupt place doesn’t have that because the corruption is in itself being paid to undermine the rule of law. Low corruption means the law (whatever it actually is) isn’t being subverted. And property rights are, well, they’re property rights.

So, now we have it, now we know what it is that makes countries happy, happier than the United States. Free trade, property rights and the rule of law.

Who knew?

Could Freedom Actually Make People Happy? was last modified: June 12th, 2011 by Sam Schulman